Connacht Tribune
Ex-Minister seeks aid for Gaeltacht households
Money set aside to subsidise student accommodation while attending Gaeltacht courses should still be granted to the ‘mná tí’ to help offset the devastating impact of the cancellation of Irish language summer colleges across the region.
That’s the proposal from former minister and Connemara resident Éamon Ó Cuív, who said that the loss of the Irish colleges for the first time in 116 years has been a massive economic blow to the Gaeltacht.
Households which take in twelve students immersing themselves in Gaeltacht life for three courses can make a gross profit before tax of nearly €15,000 through a subsidy from the Department and a fee from the Irish colleges.
Out of that they must pay for food, light, heat and wear and tear of their homes as well as putting in long hours to provide full board.
Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív estimates that the 500 Galway mná tí would likely make 20% to 30% profit from that once all expenses are paid out.
Yet they are not entitled to the Covid-19 payment of €350 a week because they were not working at the time the pandemic lockdown was declared.
“They work seven days a week for up to 66 days – that’s equivalent to 13 weeks. If they got the Covid payment that would be €4,550. They should be getting the grant equivalent of the Covid payment from the Department of the Gaeltacht which already has the €10 a night subsidy in its coffers for the 27,000 students which would have been attending the courses,” he believes.
“The people who benefit from that subsidy are the thousands of children who get full board and Irish language classes for 22 days at a very affordable rate which are supervised at all times – the record of kids not coming to harm is unparalleled.”
Deputy Ó Cuív understands that a proposal for a grant package to be paid to the accommodation providers as well as the colleges which will also have no income this year was brought by the Department of the Gaeltacht to the Department of Public Expenditure. But it has yet to be approved.
“I’m very, very worried that they’ve had this proposal since late March but have not signed off on it. The Department has in the region of €6 million from the subsidy,” he said.
“I have tabled a question to the Minister for the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan about whether she has brought a need memo into the Cabinet about this so the question of whether to support the people of the Gaeltacht can be discussed by the 15 ministers.”
Colleges, the mná tí and the halls and facilities funded by the Department rely on income from the Irish colleges to pay for things like insurance.
He also called on the Minister to examine a new grant that would encourage families to stay in a house in the Gaeltacht during a shorter period like five days in August.
“This could happen over three or four weeks in August on a rolling basis. The scheme could help retrieve some of the season for the mná tí. It would also give a unique opportunity to families to learn the Irish language together in a programme.”
Deputy Madigan replied that Minister and Senator Sean Kyne as well as officials in the Gaeltacht Department have met the college representative organisation, CONCOS, to examine support packages.
“We are aware that it is important and intrinsic to the entirety of the Gaeltacht, not just the mná tí. The Deputy can rest assured that this is on our radar and something on which we are working intensely.”
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
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The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
